Over Eating

Rachel - I've been in your situation so many times and only this year at the ripe old age of 47 have I finally learnt to control my eating rather than it control me. Its been a gradual process over the course of about a year but started quite simply really. I decided to give up chocolate and crisps for Lent so whenever I went to the shops and was going to buy those items, I said in my head something along the lines of "I'm making the decision to buy and eat these - am I willing to accept that it will make me feel rubbish and that I'm eating them for the sake of it?" Sometimes I bought them anyway but more often than not I didn't. So I spread it to home too and now when I go for the biscuit tin stop then make a conscious decision to either take or leave the biscuit. Again, sometimes I do sometimes I dont but I finally feel as though I am back in control of my eating rather than it controlling me!!

Hope that helps a bit - sounds bonkers when I read it back!!

x

Same here, struggled with that for years and there's still days when I go to the fridge and food cupboards for snacks between meals or later in the evening. But the food I keep at home is different now - less sweets, chocolate, ice-cream, cakes, savoury snacks and biscuits, more healthier options like nuts, seeds, dried fruit. Still high-calorie foods but a bit more filling so I feel fuller for longer, and I still have some sweet treats to look forward to, just less of them than before. And I try to only shop once a week so I know when the treats are gone they're gone, which helps me eke them out. One thing which changed me personally - and I'm not trying to convert anyone (in case I get accused of that) but it has contributed a lot to a big change in my eating habits - is l started to look into the sources of different foods and ingredients. I decided not to eat some of them any more for various reasons, like finding them gross (e.g. gelatine, cochineal) or being disgusted at the cruelty involved in obtaining those foods. Many wouldn't want to go to those lengths and it's their choice, of course, but for me that definitely and permanently changed my eating habits and helped with the emotional/boredom eating at the same time. The less tempting treat-foods kept at home, the easier it became.

I plan for treats. Like I'm not giving up fast food. So I plan the 2 days a week I know I'll get it. That helps me to not eat whatever I want every day. Because I can think to myself, on Saturday I'm going to get that Mexican food I want. Then Saturday rolls around, gotta be good for lunch, remind myself, dinner will be delicious Mexican food, so I can keep it under control for lunch. Then dinner is my treat. All still within my calories generally (or at worst, a day at maintenance). I don't keep things I might binge on in the house (ice cream, chocolate bars, etc). I know I don't have the control to portion something out, so I don't keep it around.

Hello I saw your post about this, I also struggled with eating and feeling like I had no control. I would eat until I felt sick, and eat in secret shame, and lie and hide food I was eating. One day I realized that this was not right and I looked into getting some help, and I heard about binge eating disorder. Well I was given a questionnaire and surprisingly I ticked off almost all the boxes for having it. I started a Binge Eating group on here where I put the link to the site with more info on the disorder. It may be worth your time to look into. I can tell you that I have been in full control of my eating, I no longer emotionally eat, and I have the ability to stop eating when I am full and not overeat. I hope this helps.

racheldell4956 wrote: »

Thanks everyone, I wish I could control what's bought in the store like everyone on here says, but I'm only 18 and my parents buy nothing but junk food. Which doesn't help what so ever

Have you spoken to your parents about your goals of cutting down on junk? Maybe you could tell them to pick up a few healthy items when they make the supermarket trip.